African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, yesterday labelled former President Olusegun Obasanjo unforgiving and vindictive as the hostility between the former allies appeared to degenerate.
Atiku, vice president to Obasanjo between 1999 and 2007, said the latest tirade against him by his former boss was more of ‘personal resentment’ than historical truth.
The ex-president, speaking at the Friday unveiling of the foundation and memoirs of musician/activist Charly Boy, had described his choice of Atiku as running mate in 1999 as the biggest mistake of his life.
“Mistake when I was in government? The man I picked as my running mate, my number two — if I had known him as I came to know him later, I would not have picked him,” Obasanjo said in response to a question by his host.
“Thank God his actions and reactions did not overwhelm me or divert my own focus from Nigeria.
“There is no bitterness. He did things he believed he should do and God did things he needed to do, which enabled me to achieve what I was able to achieve,” he added.
However, Atiku in his reaction yesterday, said Obasanjo was only attempting to rewrite history.
The former vice president said his only offence was opposing alleged attempt by Obasanjo to have a third term in office.
“I am proud that I stood against the third-term agenda. I am proud that I stood by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Africans& Diaspora
“I have no apology whatsoever for frustrating every attempt to subvert our democracy for personal ambition,” Atiku said in a statement through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.
Continuing, Atiku said: “If Chief Obasanjo’s bitterness stems from my refusal to support an unconstitutional third term, then I wear that resentment as a badge of honour.
“No individual, regardless of his status or accomplishments, is bigger than the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The Constitution is supreme, and I chose Nigeria over personal loyalty.”
Atiku noted that the struggle against the third-term agenda was never about two individuals but about preserving Nigeria’s constitutional democracy for future generations.
“The Nigerian people won that battle. Democracy won that battle. History has already delivered its verdict,” he said.
The former Vice President said it was therefore unfortunate that the same man whose unconstitutional ambition was resisted now seeks to sit in judgment over those who defended the Constitution.
He added: “Whether or not the timing is merely coincidental is for Nigerians to judge. Africans& Diaspora
“What is beyond dispute, however, is that while distinguished Nigerians who served at the highest levels continue to acknowledge my contributions to one of Nigeria’s most successful periods of economic management, Chief Obasanjo appears determined to diminish them.”
“Chief Obasanjo may choose not to appreciate my role in building one of Nigeria’s most prosperous economic eras, but history has been far kinder.
“The record speaks for itself, and so do the testimonies of those who worked closely with that administration.”
Atiku recalled how he “stood firmly“ by Obasanjo when the former President was jailed by the Abacha regime .
His words: “I supported his family, worked tirelessly with other patriots for his release and never wavered in my belief that he deserved his freedom.
“When he eventually regained his freedom, he had little to his name. I received him, clothed him, ensured he was properly cared for and extended every support necessary to help him regain his footing.
“Beyond that, I mobilised political structures, built alliances and made enormous personal and political sacrifices that culminated in his emergence as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
But he said he has no regret whatsoever for helping Obasanjo, because as he put it, “when God gives you the opportunity to lift another human being, you do so without expecting repayment. Acts of kindness are matters of conscience, not commercial transactions.”
“If the true history of Chief Obasanjo’s political journey is ever written—free from selective recollection and personal bitterness—Atiku Abubakar will feature prominently as one of those who God used to change the course of his life and political career.”
The former Vice President expressed disappointment that at a time when Nigeria is battling economic hardship, mass unemployment, insecurity and widespread despair, a former President would devote so much energy to recycling old grudges instead of contributing solutions to the country’s challenges. Africans& Diaspora
“The 2027 election should be about rebuilding Nigeria, restoring security, reviving the economy and giving hope to the next generation—not reopening old political wounds,” he said.
The former vice president said he had deliberately maintained restraint over the years out of respect for the office Obasanjo once occupied and in deference to the relationship they once shared.
“That restraint should never be mistaken for weakness or docility.”
“There comes a point when silence in the face of repeated distortions of history ceases to be a virtue.
“While I have no desire to engage in a public quarrel with a man I once stood beside in his most difficult moments, neither will I permit falsehoods, half-truths and calculated attempts to rewrite history to go unanswered.”
